Public safety taxes OK'd in St. Clair Shores, Harrison Township

Eric Retzbach, an off-duty St. Clair Shores firefighter, greets voter Paul McCarty outside of South Lake High School on Tuesday afternoon. Residents in St. Clair Shores voted on a public safety tax renewal. The Macomb Daily/DAVID N. POSAVETZ

A public safety tax in St. Clair Shores was overwhelmingly renewed while a tax increase for fire service in Harrison Township also received voter approval in Tuesday’s primary election.

In St. Clair Shores, a three-year renewal of a 2-mill millage was passed by 69.2 percent to 30.7 percent, or 6,200 to 2,755, according to city officials.

“I think the results show the people are willing to support our police and fire departments and want to maintain a high level of service that both departments provide,” Mayor Kip Walby said.

Ballot language for the renewal mandates minimum manpower levels of 90 officers in the police department and 50 firefighters. The owner of a home valued at $200,000 currently pays about $200 a year for the millage, the same amount they will pay with the renewal, due to a decrease in property values.

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In the eight-candidate City Council race, incumbents Peter Rubino, Candice Rusie and John Caron advance to the November general election, while challengers Michael Odinez and Jack Downey were eliminated.

Rubino, a financial planner, received 4,436 votes, while Rusie, an attorney, had 4,343. Caron, an engineer who was appointed to the council in 2011 to fill a vacancy created by the election of Walby as mayor, garnered 3,029.

Others advancing to the general election are Peter Accica with 2,751 votes, John Burtch had 2,732, and former councilwoman Erin Stahl — who opposed the public safety tax — received 2,648. Downey received 1,946 and Odinez had 1,023.

Meanwhile, in Harrison Township, voters approved a three-year, 6.67 mill renewal for general operations, police and fire service, along with a half-mill, three year increase for the fire department. Voters also rejected a 10-year, half-mill increase for the public library.

The 6.67-mill renewal, which will raise $5.5 million in the first year, passed by a 77 percent to 23 percent margin, or 2,666 to 802. The fire millage, which will raise $413,000 in the first year, passed by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin, or 1,855 to 1,599.

The library millage fell by a 49 percent to 51 percent margin, or 1,706 to 1,759.

Language for the 6.67-mill plan indicates it is for general operations, but thanks to the recent upturn in the economy, the town’s state revenue sharing funds have increased enough to pay for the local government. That means the millage will fund the fire department and contracting with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office for police protection.

However, that millage rate doesn’t cover all of the costs for the fire department. During the economic downturn, township officials were forced to dip into the fire department’s general fund balance to cover the department’s cost, leaving the department with a $600,000 deficit, so the increase will help fund equipment, facilities and manpower.

If the library tax had been approved, officials had planned to hire a full-time certified librarian and expand operating hours. The library is currently run by volunteers and receives state funding from penal fines.

The fire millage will cost the owner of a $150,000 home about $37 a year.